Ornamental hair clamp



Aug- 24, 1965 D. A. TRIANGOLO 3,201,952

ORNAMENTAL HAIR CLAMP Filed Aug. l5, 1962 United States Patent O 3,201,952 QRNAMENTAL BAER CLAW Daniel A. Triangolo, Cranston, RJ., assignor to Danal Jewelry Company, Providence, Rl., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Aug. 13, 1%2, Ser. No. 216,395 6 Claims. (Ci. 625-2) The present invention relates generally to the jewelry art, and is more particularly concerned with the provision of a novel and improved hair ornament.

A primary object `of my invention is the provision of a hair ornament which may be easily attached and detached with respect to the wearers hair.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a hair ornament which provides a novel and unique ornamental appearance.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a hair ornament wherein a coil spring is utilized for gripping the wearers hair.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a hair ornament that has few moving parts and hence is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

FIG. l is a front elevational view showing a hair ornament constructed in accordance with my invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a hair ornament per se constructed in accordance with my invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear elevational view thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top edge View thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top edge view thereof showing the hair ornament in an intermediate position during attachment thereof to the wearers hair;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of one of the plates per se that form a part of my hair ornament;

FIG. 7 is a detailed perspective view of the spring gripping member used in my invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view, with portions broken away, of a slightly modified form of my invention;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary rear elevational view thereof;

FIG. 10 is .a section taken on line lil-10 in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the spring gripping means utilized in the modified form of my invention.

Although hair ornaments in general are notoriously old, the usual barrette or the like has traditionally employed a clamping arm of some sort for maintaining the ornament in attachment with the wearers hair. Such an arrangement has generally proven satisfactory, even though the wearer may sometimes experience some difficulty in attaching and detaching the ornament. Where it is desired, however, to mount a hair ornament in the general area of the hair line just above the Wearers forehead, it has been found that the traditional type of barrette is difficult and impractical to use. Thus, there is provided in accordance with my invention a novel hair ornament which does not comprise any clamping arms or the like and which may be easily and quickly attached to the wearers hair at whatever location is desired, including the general area of the hair line just above the wearers forehead.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown generally at 10 a hair ornament embodying my invention. As will be seen most clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ornament ICC 1t) comprises a pair of similar plate members 12, each having a front surface 14 to which any suitable ornamentation may be applied, and a rear surface 16. It will be understood that each of the plates 12 may be of any desired configuration, although it is important to note that when in use, the plates 12 are in abutting relation with each other, as at the edges 18.

As will be seen most clearly in FIGS. 3 through 5, the plates 12 are resiliently secured to each other by means of a coil spring 20 which extends from the rear surface of one plate to the rear surface of the other. The coil spring 2t) may be secured to the rear surfaces of the plates 12 by any suitable means, although I prefer to effect this securement by reversely bending the plates 12 at their abutting edges 1S so as to provide rearwardly disposed reversely bent tab portions 22, each of which carries an integral eye portion 24. Secured to the eye portion 24, as by a rivet 26, is a gripping member 28 (FIG. 7), which gripping member comprises an eye portion 30, a flat base por-tion 32, serrated gripping lugs 34 extending outwardly from opposite edges of base 32, and an integral upstanding end lug 36, also extending outwardly from base portion 32. It will be understood that rivet 26 functions to assemble the gripping member 28 to the reversely bent tab 22 of each plate member 12, note FIG. 4. Once the gripping members 2S have been assembled in this manner, spring 20 is positioned so that it extends from one end lug 36 to the other, and then the opposed serrated lugs 34 are clenched inwardly so as to grip opposite ends of the spring, as most clearly illustrated in FIG; 3. It will now be seen that the plate members 12 are resiliently assembled to each other by means of the interconnection which is effected by spring Ztl, `and it is important to note that when the plates 12 are in their abutting, substantially uniplanar relationship, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the spring 26 is relaxed, and adjacent convolutions of the spring are in abutting relation with each other.

When it is desired to attach the ornament 10 to the hair of the wearer, such as, for example, at the location illustrated in FIG. l, the plate members 12 are pivoted with respect to each other at their abutting edges 13 so as to assume the position illustrated in FIG. 5. In such a position, it will be seen that the spring 20 has been expanded so that adjacent convolutions are now in spaced relationship with respect to each other. With the ornament in this position, engagement is made with the hair of the wearer so that the hair strands are free to enter into the spaces between adjacent convolutions of the spring. The wearer then folds back the plates 12 so that they once again assume the position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. "As this happens, the spring 241 is allowed to resume its relaxed state, whereupon as the adjacent convolutions of the spring once again engage each other, the hair strands located therebetween are resiliently gripped. The hair r ornament is then securely maintained in position by this :gripping engagement, as illustrated in FIG. l. When it is desired to remove the hair ornament, it is simply necessary to once again manipulate the adjacent plates 12 to the position illustrated in FIG. 5, whereupon the spring convolutions become spaced from each other so as to release the hair strands located therebetween.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 through 1l, a slightly modilied form of my invention is illustrated, although it will be apparent that this form of my invention is identical in principle and operation to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7. Specifically, the modified form of J'my invention, as illustrated in FIGS. S through 1l, differs from .the preferred form only in the means for securing the spring 20 to the rear of the plate members. Thus, vreferring to FIGS. 8 and 9, it will be seen that plate mem- 'ber 38 is provided with a plurality of integral prongs 40 for securing an ornamental stone or the like 42 to the q. a3 front surface of the-plate member.

stone 42 covers the plate member, it is now possible to integrally strike grippinglugs 44 from plate member 38'.

Vsince the openings 46 which result' from this technique are effectively covered andxhence do not detract from the appearance of the completedornament.

Itlwill benoted that the lugs 44 are serrated in the same manner asY `the l y Vv3,201,952V

Since the ornamental Y 2. The ornament of claim l'further Vcharacterizedin that said plate members are providedwith ornamentation above described'lugs 34 in order to facilitate better gripVv ping engagement ywithtthe'coil spring, which is` shown atY Y48. in FIGS. 8 and 9. Y l

form of my invention illustrated in FIGS.' l through 7 ity It will be understood that 'in the is not possible to integrally strike the'grippinglugs Yfrom the platemembers since the ornamentation on the `front on their front surfaces.

V3:. The ornamentrof claim 1 further characterized in that said connecting means are lugs; integrally struck from fsaid plate members.

v4.,"I`h`e, ornament of claim 1 further. characterized in that `said connecting means kcomprise integral portions of f said plate members reversely bent so as to lie adjacent surface of the plate members is in the form of an engraved design or the like, whereupon the openings which result from integrally striking .the gripping lugs wouldvbe visible `from the front of thedevice, thereby detracting from its ornamental appearance. In useY and operation, however, the form of my kinvention illustrated in FIGS.'; 8 through l1 is identical to the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS.l l through 7.

Whilethere is shown and describedjherein certain' specific structure embodying vthe invention, it Awill, be 'mania fest to those skilled'in therart'that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may bemadewithout departing fromlthe spirit and scope of the underlying in- Y' ventive concept and that thesame is not limited to the erally parallel relation with respect thereto when said particular forms herein shown Vand described except insoe far as indicated by thevscope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: Y 1. In a hair ornament, a

plate. member located in edge-to-edge abutting relationwith respect to said first plate member and being normally in substantially the sameY plane therewith, a coil spring,Y

means connecting said members and said coil spring, *saidl coil spring having its longitudinal axis extending (from one platemember to the other in overlying and generally first plate member, a second members and coil spring are in' the normal*A positions thereof, the adjacent convolutions of said coil spring being located inlmutually abuttingrelation when said members and-'coil1v spring are in their normal positions, said coil spring having means including exposed onesof said convolutions whereby, upon saidfmembers being moved relal tive to each other to'tension said coil spring and to cause the adjacent convolutions ofsaid coil-sprin`g tov separateY to define yspacesrtherebetween, the yhair of the wearer can be received within said'spacesV and can vbe locked Vbetween parallel relation when said plate members are inV their normaledge-to-edge abutting relation, the -adjacent con-V volutions of said spring being located in mutually abut-Y ting relation when said spring `is in the normal relaxed` position thereof, said plate members being movable relative to each other, the abuttingv edges defining a pivot axis therefor, said coil springhaving means includingexposedY ones of said` convolutions whereby, upon Vmovement ofvv lvsaid platemembers causing said coil springtobe tenl sioned, the Vadjacent convolutions ,thereofl .are separated to define spaces into whichstrands of hair of the wearer are inserted, said spring capturing the strands ,ofhair be-*f tween the adjacent convolutions when the plate mem- 0 'Y LAVERNE,` D. YGEIGER,V Examiner',

bers are released forfreturn to their normalV position..l

said adjacent convolutionswhenV said members and coil spring are'returned to the normal positions thereof, whereln said ornament is secured in placek in the wearers hair.

a References ,Cited bythe/Examiner UNITED `STATES*'P'ArleNTs 261,208 Y 7/82l Crosman V 63,`20 X 666,860 1/01- Buzzaoown-; 132-.-47 j 676,413 6/01 Pollard 63-' 20 '1,088,553 2/14 Dostal 24- 252 2,033,943 3/36k Lely-r-; V a 63-20 2,033,944 Y 3/36 1/aly, 63-2 2,190,143 2/40 Barnes etal. 24-252 I 2,552,509` f 5/51 Baooa `13246 X 2,637,328 y5/53 Bohr l f 132-46 7 Y Y roanloN, PATENTS f 462,369l 5/.35 GreatBritain.

lRlCHARD c. PINKHAM, Primary Examinar, 

1. IN A HAIR ORNAMENT, A FIRST PLATE MEMBER, A SECOND PLATE MEMBER LOCATED IN EDGE-TO-EDGE ABUTTING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST PLATE MEMBER AND BEING NORMALLY IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE THEREWITH, A COIL SPRING, MEANS CONNECTING SAID MEMBERS AND SAID COIL SPRING, SAID COIL SPRING HAVING ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS EXTENDING FROM ONE PLATE MEMBER TO THE OTHER IN OVERLYING AND GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATION WHEN SAID PLATE MEMBERS ARE IN THEIR NORMAL EDGE-TO-EDGE ABUTTING RELATION, THE ADJACENT CONVOLUTIONS OF SAID SPRING BEING LOCATED IN MUTUALLY ABUTTING RELATION WHEN SAID SPRING IS IN THE NORMAL RELAXED POSITION THEREOF, SAID PLATE MEMBERS BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, THE ABUTTING EDGES DEFINING A PIVOT AXIS THEREFOR, SAID COIL SPRING HAVING MEANS INCLUDING EXPOSED ONES OF SAID CONVOLUTIONS WHEREBY, UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE MEMBERS CAUSING SAID COIL SPRING TO BE TENSIONED, THE ADJACENT CONVOLUTIONS THEREOF ARE SEPARATED TO DEFINE SPACES INTO WHICH STRANDS OF HAIR OF THE WEARER ARE INSERTED, SAID SPRING CAPTURING THE STRANDS OF HAIR BETWEEN THE ADJACENT CONVOLUTIONS WHEN THE PLATE MEMBERS ARE RELEASED FOR RETURN TO THEIR NORMAL POSITION. 